About the RAF

Today’s modern RAF is the UK’s aerial, peacekeeping and fighting force. It’s made up of impressive full-time Regulars and spare-time Reserves who come from diverse backgrounds and work side-by-side to make a difference at home and abroad. When it comes to recruitment our focus is attracting the best personnel, and ensuring they’re well taken care of during and after their service in the RAF.

OUR ROLE AT HOME

Our primary role at home is to defend UK airspace. We do this through reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and cutting-edge technologythat enables rapid responses.

Equally important is the work we do in communities across the UK and beyond. We’re actively involved in raising money for a range of charities, hosting youth leadership courses, getting our hands dirty to protect the environment, helping sea turtles threatened with extinction, and taking part in community projects. This is in addition to the world-famous aerobatics displays and ceremonial events that form an integral part of life in the RAF.

OUR ROLE ABROAD

We may be a fighting force that provides flexible and specialised air power, but our role abroad includes more than that.

In trouble spots around the globe, we help police the skies and support peacekeeping and reconstruction initiatives. We do this through temporary deployments overseas and permanent commitments like our base in the Falkland Islands where Eurofighter Typhoons, Sea King helicopters, a Hercules transport aircraft and RAF personnel are based to maintain stability in the region.

It’s not always about our interests though. We provide humanitarian aid to victims of war and natural disasters, deliver life-saving shelters and food supplies, and even airlift people to safety. Our RAF personnel have worked tirelessly in disaster zones like the tsunami in Indonesia and earthquake in Pakistan. Whether they’re preventing a civil war, providing relief and aid to countries that need it most or thwarting terrorist actions, being a force for good is what our work is really about.